This book collects essays Thoreau wrote on several trips to Cape Cod and was published after his death. Thoreau’s great journeys were rarely far from his home in Concord, and yet the descriptions of every day detail are as if he’d traveled around the world. No more so than his writing about Cape Cod which after a century and a half of time passed sounds like it could’ve been a journey to Mars. The writing is beautiful whether he’s describing a shipwreck, beachcombing, or the people who populate the sand-covered villages.Rating: ***1/2

Author: Judy MollandTitle:Get Out!: 150 Easy Ways for Kids & Grown-Ups to Get Into Nature and Build a Greener Future by Judy MollandPublication Info: Minneapolis, MN : Free Spirit Pub., 2009.ISBN: 9781575423357Summary/Review: This book is a short reference book with a list of 150 suggestions of what children and families can do to experience nature and participate in environmental conservation. I was a bit disappointed that the book is literally a list with just a few paragraphs per item and that it is less about “what kids can do outdoors” than “things you can do to save the Earth.” Not that that is a bad thing, it’s just there are many other books on that topic. Still, this could be a good reference to keep on hand for parenting ideas regarding nature and the environment.Rating: **

Saturday June 19th at 11 am, meet at the Jamaica Pond Bandstand near the intersection of Pond Street and Jamaicaway for a 90-minute tour around Jamaica Pond. Yours truly will be one of the guides for this Jamaica Plain Historical Society walking tour.

Official description of the tour from the JPHS website:

Once a gathering point for Boston’s elite, the Pond had previously been put to industrial use as tons of ice were harvested there each winter. Learn about the movers and shakers such as Francis Parkman who made their homes on the Pond’s shores. Discover how the Pond was transformed from private estates and warehouses into the parkland we know today.
Leaves from the Bandstand, Pond Street and Jamaicaway.

Come join us for a fun and informative tour. Last year I lead this tour for 27 people and 4 dogs. It should be a nice escape on a hot day. Don’t forget that the price of this tour is FREE, although you may want to sign up for a JPHS membership starting at $15.

wnyc: Hello. I’m Leonard Nimoy. The following tale of alien encounters is true. And by true, I mean false. It’s all lies. But they’re entertaining lies. And in the end, isn’t that the real truth? The answer is: No.